The International Service for the Acquisition of Agro-biotech Applications (ISAAA Afri-Center) has launched an African digital biotechnology and biosafety platform designed to make regulatory data easier to find, understand and use.
A statement announcing the launch of the portal known as Biotech Africa Database says the platform is expected to support informed decision-making, regulatory transparency, regional learning and the responsible deployment of agricultural biotechnology across the African continent.
Reads the statement in part: “For many years, Africa-related biotechnology and biosafety information has been scattered across multiple agency websites, gazette notices and regulatory documents, making it difficult for users to access and interpret.
This has often created delays, compliance risks and uncertainty for traders, regulators and value-chain actors operating across borders.
“The Biotech Africa platform seeks to address this challenge by collating accurate and up-to-date information on biosafety regulations, approval decisions and regulatory processes in one place.”
Speaking during a webinar that attracted 120 participants from 29 countries, ISAAA AfiCenter director Dr Margaret Karembu described the launch as a milestone that will improve regulatory decision-making on the continent.
